“It’s been a hard two years to get back to where I was,” Trey Cunningham confessed in a post-race interview with Tiara Williams, his voice carrying the weight of the journey. And what a comeback it’s been. At the Grand Slam Track Meet in Miami earlier this month, the American hurdler stunned fans and rivals alike by storming past elite names like Sasha Zhoya and Freddie Crittenden. Matching his personal best of 13.00 seconds in the 110m hurdles, Cunningham didn’t just win. He made a statement that only Cordell Tinch’s 12.87 at the Shanghai Diamond League had gone above that mark.

Holding his form under immense pressure, he crossed the line first, silencing any doubts about whether he still had it in him. But even as the narrative tilted toward a red-hot resurgence, Philadelphia brought a new chapter. One that came with honesty and humility. Despite clinching the overall 100m title with a second-place finish in the third leg of the GST series, Cunningham had an emotional admission to make.

CITIUS MAG took to YouTube, highlighting just how much Trey Cunningham had pushed through behind the scenes in Philly. And the truth hit hard. “I’m feeling a lot better than I did yesterday. I’ve been a little sick this week. I had to go to the doctor on Wednesday before I came. I’ve had a sinus infection and had a fever, but I’m feeling semi-normal now. And I had to redeem myself from yesterday.”

It wasn’t just the hurdles that tested him in Philadelphia. It was a week of battling illness and fatigue. But Cunningham refused to back down. He showed up anyway, hungry to make up for what he felt was a subpar performance the day before. That drive to “redeem” himself speaks volumes about the fire that still burns within him. And it’s no fluke! Trey’s entire 2025 has been a grind laced with grit.

Back in Miami, just a day after dominating the hurdles, he showed his versatility by tearing down the straightaway in the 100m with a red-hot 10.17s. It was more than just fast. It was a warning shot to the field. Track icon Justin Gatlin summed it up perfectly: “When I see the time that Trey’s running right now, I hear a theme song… ‘I got money in the bank.’” The confidence, the speed, the timing. It was all clicking, and everyone was watching.

Still, Cunningham kept it real. “People don’t understand how competitive the men’s hurdles are. Like, 13.1 is not a slow time. I mean, people are barely off their PBs winning, so it’s very competitive. I’ve had a bunch of races where I’ve had a good day, and then someone’s just had a great day.” His words cut through the noise. In a field where milliseconds separate glory from defeat, Trey’s acknowledgment of the sport’s brutal margins only deepens the respect he’s earned. Even in second place, he’s still setting the tone.

Trey Cunningham’s redemption run is no accident

Trey Cunningham blasted into his 2025 outdoor campaign with a thunderous statement at the Tom Jones Memorial in Gainesville. Clocking a fiery 13.09 seconds, the 26-year-old Alabama native not only posted a world lead but also handed Grant Holloway his first home-soil loss in over a decade. That victory didn’t just turn heads. It shook the hierarchy.

As Justin Gatlin aptly put it, “When a hurdler has a rhythm, it’s very hard to beat that hurdler.” And right now, Cunningham is humming at full volume. With Holloway sidelined, Trey didn’t just step up—he took the reins. At the Adidas Atlanta City Games, he kept his momentum alive with a 13.16-second win over Freddie Crittenden, underscoring the kind of consistency that makes a champion.

But this rise didn’t happen in a vacuum. Just last summer, Trey Cunningham experienced one of the toughest moments in his career. A stunning ninth-place finish at the U.S. Olympic Trials with a time of 13.39 seconds. It was a heartbreaking miss, costing him a shot at the Paris Olympics. And ironically, a few months earlier at the Racers Grand Prix, he clocked a 13.12.

His Olympic Trials heat time, later in the year. The numbers matched, but the circumstances couldn’t have been more different. In Jamaica, it was a signal. In Eugene, it was the end. That disappointment lingered, but it also fueled the version of Cunningham we’re seeing now. Hungry, focused, and dialed in with deadly precision. As the World Championships approach, Cunningham’s mission is crystal clear.

His second-place finish in Philadelphia may not have extended the win streak, but it didn’t break the rhythm either. If anything, it reinforced just how tough and resilient. He is. He may have missed the Olympic dream, but in 2025, Trey isn’t chasing redemption with desperation. He’s racing with purpose. This season isn’t about proving people wrong. It’s about proving himself right. And with each meet, he’s inching closer to something bigger than a medal: mastery.